ABSTRACT
This chapter reviews the chemical nature and physical nature of starch as these relate to starch functional properties and the end uses of starch. It describes the molecular nature of starch from different botanical sources and how their amylose and amylopectin fractions relate to physical properties of starch gels. The chapter presents an overview of the growing interest in the fine structure of amylose and amylopectin as they relate to starch functionality. It provides a consideration of the advances in microscopy that led to a better understanding of the structure of the granule and its implications on resistance to enzymatic and nonenzymatic hydrolysis. The diversity of starch applications supports ongoing research toward a better understanding of starch functionality in food systems. The starch industry demands the development of hybrids that produce native starches that behave like chemically modified starches. Starches isolated from different botanical sources are known to have different functional properties.
